Nurses from the Philippines joining hospital wards in Walsall

Staff from the trust flew out to the Philippines in the last week of July to identify and interview hopeful nurses, with 75 nurses being recruited who are now gearing up for language exams.

They will work across areas including the emergency department, theatres, neonatal care, intensive care, as well as medical and surgical wards.

Zena Young, deputy director of nursing, who visited the Philippines to recruit the new nursing staff

said: "We are delighted with the standard of new recruits and their very welcoming and friendly approach.

"All have a good level of spoken and written English and were clinically experienced and knowledgeable."

The nurses will have to undergo the International English Language Testing System to ensure strong communication skills. They are expected to arrive in six to nine months.

Meanwhile, the recruitment of EU nurses is still underway with 19 nurses selected from European countries and the Trust is working to get these candidates in post by next month.

Rachel Overfield, director of nursing said: "Most Trusts are going overseas as the national shortage and local difficulties in recruitment leave little option.

"Patient care is our utmost priority and we are very excited to soon be welcoming the recruits to the Trust, to strengthen our clinical workforce and improve patient safety."

The recruitment comes as the trust looks to make improvements after it was put into special measures by the Care Quality Commission earlier this year.

The commission identifyied a number of failings including in maternity services.

Before 2015, because of UK immigration laws, the trusts could only recruit staff from the EU.